Page 13

13

ADAN

T he sun hadn’t yet risen, but I was already dressed.

A full day had passed since Calliope touched the cursed sword—long enough for the shock to dull but not disappear. She’d fallen asleep in my bed last night, curled against me as though she had always been there, her breathing steady and unguarded. The image had seared itself into my mind.

Now, she lay wrapped in the blankets, one arm flung across my pillow, the strawberry-blond waves of her hair haloing her face. She looked peaceful. Entirely human, despite what I now knew.

The fire had burned low overnight, casting shadows across the floor. I didn’t reignite it. I didn’t need the warmth—not when my blood ran hot with too many conflicting instincts.

Calliope didn’t yet grasp the kind of danger she’d awakened by entering that damn room.

I stood by the window, watching the horizon begin to glow with morning light. My wards were holding. The hotel guests still slumbered, unaware of what was coming. But that wouldn’t last.

Blood would be shed, and I was determined that it would not be mine. I’d fight harder than I ever had before. Which said a lot, considering the enemies I had defeated in the past.

A psychic buzz sounded in my head, a distinctive pattern telling me it was Kastiel.

Yes?

Something has happened.

I didn’t want to leave Calliope alone. Not yet.

Come up.

I crossed the bedroom and stalked through the living area, opening the door before he could knock on the hard surface. My mate needed all the rest she could get.

My head of security strode inside. “The wards flared and re-stabilized at the border of the western quadrant. I checked it personally.”

My shoulders tensed. “Was it a breach?”

“Not exactly.” He shifted his stance. “It wasn’t physical. More like a projection. Took the shape of a woman’s voice. Called your mate’s name.”

My jaw clenched. “It tried to lure her.”

“That’s my read. It’s good she was in your quarters. She never heard it. Didn’t get close, but it could’ve been a test run. A lure. Whoever’s coming is curious about her when they should be focused on you.”

I raked my fingers through my hair. “Then we need to be prepared for anything because I refuse to risk my mate’s life.”

A low growl built in my throat, so quiet it barely disturbed the air, but Kastiel stilled anyway. He recognized the edge in my posture. The rage held just beneath the surface.

The assassin had made a fatal error. My mate had been hunted before she even understood what she was. Touched by a force older than blood and bold enough to test my defenses. This wasn’t just disrespect…it was a challenge. One I would answer with hellfire.

Kastiel took a step back in silent acknowledgment, giving me space as I crossed the room.

The faint rustle of sheets in the other room warned me that Calliope was stirring. Her sleepy voice followed a second later. “Adan?”

I turned sharply, instincts snapping taut as I saw her standing in the doorway of the bedroom, wrapped in nothing but my robe. The thin tie was knotted loosely at her waist, and the deep neckline exposed far too much of her soft skin.

My demon surged. No one had the right to see her like this except for me.

Kastiel started to glance in her direction, but I moved before he could. I was across the room in a breath, tugging her gently but firmly back into the bedroom and kicking the door shut behind us.

Her feet were bare against the stone floor, hair tousled from sleep, and cheeks flushed from surprise.

“You okay?” she asked, her voice softening.

“I will be. Once you’re dressed.” I ran my fingers down her bare arm, voice dropping to a murmur. “I’d hate to have to kill one of my most loyal employees. I consider Kastiel to be a friend, but I’m the only one who will ever get to see you fresh from our bed.”

Her lips parted in surprise before curving into a smirk. “I should probably point out that you’re being ridiculous, but your possessiveness was hot.”

I kissed her forehead, letting her feel the restraint in my touch. “We’ll come back to that later. For now, let’s get you dressed.”

Her green eyes searched mine before she nodded. And my world steadied.

Since we’d moved her belongings to my quarters yesterday, it didn’t take long for her to get ready to face our guest.

Calliope stayed close as we re-entered the living room, her gaze sharp now despite the remnants of sleep. Kastiel turned when we stepped inside but kept his gaze on me. He knew better than to look at her.

I inclined my head. “Kastiel, this is Calliope. My mate.”

“It’s an honor.” He bowed slightly, fist pressed over his heart, an old gesture of loyalty among demons.

She blinked at the formal gesture, then flashed him a hesitant smile. “Nice to meet you.”

“She stays with me,” I added, my voice low with authority. “At all times unless I say otherwise.”

Kastiel’s mouth twitched, but he didn’t push. “Understood.”

There was no time to waste. I swept my hand through the air and activated the glyphs that lined my private quarters. They flared violet, then sank into the walls like embers fading into ash. “I want every protective layer around The Abyss reinforced. Lock down the exterior wards first. Then move inward.”

“My team is already working on it. The outer veil’s doubled.” Kastiel’s tone was clipped but steady. “But we’ve got movement on the eastern ridge. One of our regulars noticed as they were leaving and notified Lyra.”

“Notify all our guests. They have one hour to check out or stay at their own risk.”

Kastiel nodded. “I’ll let Lyra know. What should we tell them?”

“The truth.” I tugged Calliope against my side. “My mate awakened a blood curse, and we’re being hunted by something old and vicious. Any guest who chooses to stay could become collateral damage and will only have themselves to blame.”

“That should thin the herd.” He smirked. “Or provoke a betting pool.”

Calliope’s eyes widened. “Really?”

“Demons tend to have an odd sense of humor,” I explained with a chuckle.

“And a deeply ingrained faith in Adan to ensure they’re safe while staying at The Abyss,” Kastiel added.

Calliope tilted her head back to smile up at me. “I share their confidence.”

Her unwavering trust meant everything to me, and I was determined to never give her a reason to regret it.

I brushed a kiss against her temple. “Thank you, baby.”

I exhaled and shifted my attention to the magic that tethered me to the building. The Abyss thrummed in response. The wards were adjusting—folding tighter and layering thicker. Beneath our feet, the floor pulsed with protective glyphs. Silent sentinels woven into the bones of the hotel.

Kastiel stepped closer. “This place saved me, you know. You gave me a purpose after I crawled out of the pit I made for myself. She’s your mate. I’ll die before I let anyone touch her.”

My throat tightened. Releasing Calliope, I clapped him on the shoulder once, brief and firm. “I appreciate the sentiment, but do me a favor and help me ensure the assassin is the only one who loses their life.”

He gave me a sharp nod, then faded into the shadows.

I turned to Calliope. Her brow was furrowed, but there was no fear in her eyes. Only curiosity.

Danger was coming, and she had no idea just how close it already was.

She moved closer, her arm brushing mine as she studied the thickened glow of the wards pulsing beneath our feet. “Is there anything I can do to help?”

“Just stick close to me.”

“You won’t get an argument from me.” She rose onto her toes to brush her lips against mine. “It’s my new favorite place to be.”

There was so much I needed to tell her. About the mating brand my demon was pushing to give her before the assassin got too close. How it would bind her to me permanently, heart and soul. That it would increase her lifespan…and possibly even awaken whatever power might lie dormant in her blood.

But I couldn’t. Not yet.

She’d just found out she had demon blood. She’d stepped into a world she didn’t even know existed and had taken every revelation with grace and fire. Calliope deserved to choose me freely…not as a reaction to danger. For now, keeping her alive was all that mattered.

Even if I had wanted to say anything, the choice was taken from me when the temperature dropped. Not from a breeze. Nor a subtle shift.

It was a sudden drop. Like someone had opened the door to the void and let its breath slip in.

I straightened instantly. The air thinned and shadows stirred. The low golden sconce closest to the door blinked out.

Even before I turned, I knew.

The Abyss didn’t shudder. It bowed.

Power rippled outward in a wave of pressure as the hallway bent around him. Not in submission, but a grim recognition. A thousand layers of warded stone couldn’t mute his presence.

My father stood at the edge of my domain, still as death. Towering. Armored in black. His eyes held no flames, only darkness.

“The girl will be fine.”